Big Honor... for CEO Mikee Johnson and SC Speaker of the House of Representatives Jay Lucas… Mikee Johnson, CEO of Cox Industries, has been named Business Leader of the Year, and House Speaker Jay Lucas is being honored as Public Servant of the Year.
SC Chamber CEO Ted Pitts said, “Johnson’s impact on South Carolina can’t be overstated. Without a lot of headlines, Johnson’s work, selfless actions, and generosity have had a huge impact on so many fronts and in so many communities all across South Carolina.”
Meanwhile speaking on House Speaker Jay Lucas, Pitts said, “Speaker Jay Lucas has a unique leadership style of being able to bring people together to work on finding solutions to the Palmetto State’s biggest issues. Whether infrastructure funding, workforce development, the flag, or ethics reform the South Carolina House of Representatives has gone to work for the people of South Carolina under Speaker Lucas’s leadership.”
How can South Carolina improve our tax structure to help business grow? The House Tax Policy Review Committee held a public hearing on Tuesday. The hearing was open for public comment and community leaders and residents address concern about our current tax structure, property taxes and sales tax. South Carolina Chamber President Ted Pitts addressed the committee and says Act 388 is flawed. Pitts said our tax policy needs to be make SC competitive for more job creation and business investment. and puts way too much pressure on small businesses in our state. Pitts told lawmakers the S.C. Chamber would like to be a partner in looking for business friendly solutions. He also noted that tax incentives are tools to attract job creators looking to come to our state or expand existing businesses.
The next meeting of the House Tax Policy Review Committee will be on November 1st and 5th for work sessions.
Races to Watch…The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce’s affiliated PAC, The South Carolina Good Government Committee announced the list of candidates it is supporting in this November’s General Election. There are 20 candidates that have contested races that will be decided on November 8th that have earned the Good Government Committee’s support. The Good Government Committee uses the State Chamber’s Legislative Scorecard as a basis to determine those legislators that are business friendly, pro-jobs candidates. To view the list of candidates, click here.
To review the Chamber’s Legislative Scorecard click here.
Healthy employees translate into a productive workforce. This past Wednesday the South Carolina Chamber hosted one of our most popular in the “Lunch and Learn” series addressing “Health and Wellness.” Dr. Susan Johnson, Director of Health and Promotion at MUSC, talked to the group about her research.
Dr. Johnson said studies have shown people who sit too long during the day are at a greater risk of health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Dr. Johnson says short 5 to 15 minute breaks throughout the day can reduce stress, increase your energy level and alleviate eye strain. She sat down with SC Chamber's Andrea Mock to explain more. To see the video, click here.
Our “Lunch and Learn” can also offer members continuing education credits. To see other events being offered click here.
In the worst times, South Carolinians are known to stand together. As thousands of our neighbors work to recover from Hurricane Matthew, we wanted remind you of an easy way to help those hardest hit by the storm. The One SC Fund supports nonprofit organizations in our state that are providing relief and recovery assistance to those impacted by the October floods and now Hurricane Matthew. Right now the need is great. As our neighbors continue to assess the damage from Hurricane Matthew and begin to rebuild, we ask that you donate to theOne SC Fundto help make the process easier.
